HYDERABAD, March 7: Sindh Minister for Irrigation and Power Sardar Nadir Akmal Leghari has stressed the need for synchronising efforts by public and private sectors to improve agro-based economy.

He said improvement of the agriculture sector was essential for increasing cropping intensity. He called for taking relevant aspects into account such as availability of water, marketing and crop pattern to improve the sector.

The minister was speaking at a five-day training course in irrigation water control and management, organized at the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology by the Provincial Training Cell, Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority, and the university on Tuesday.

He said such training courses were necessary for capacity building of the irrigation department.

He said issues confronting the irrigation department such as capacity of water channels, human resources and provision of water to tail-end areas were being addressed.

Mr Leghari admitted that there was mismanagement in the department but said it was being handled and even transfers and postings had been linked with merit.

“I personally interviewed 400 irrigation officials and other senior officers. Though it was not my job but I did it to ensure transparency in selection,” he said.

He said no junior officer would be posted in place of a senior, claiming that things had started improving. He said the government was considering every aspect to improve water distribution under the participatory management system.

Quoting a former chairman of Sida, he said Sindh was the only province where around 8,000 direct outlets had been approved by successive chief ministers which was destroying the irrigation system. He said that now, the outlets were being tackled properly to ensure water availability in tail-end areas.